NEWS RELEASE

Pioneer Woman Museum Offers Free Programs During Herb Festival

Ponca City, Okla. In partnership with the annual Ponca City Herb Festival, the Pioneer Woman Museum will host three programs on June 7, 2014, related to gardening and Oklahoma's botanical heritage.

At 11 a.m. a program titled "Oklahoma, A Botanical Crossroads" will be hosted by Dr. Phil Gibson, director of the Kessler Atmospheric and Ecological Field Station at the University of Oklahoma and chair of the Education Committee for the Botanical Society of America. Oklahoma's location in a major ecological transition zone of North America provides a number of different habitats that support a rich diversity of plant life. Visitors will take a botanical tour of the state and learn about its past and present plant communities, some of its interesting botanical citizens, and what the future may hold for the plants of Oklahoma.

At 1 p.m. Gibson will present "Have You Thanked A Green Plant Today?" Plants are an important part of daily life, from the herbs used to flavor meals to medicines that save lives. In this presentation, Gibson will talk about some of the important and odd things plants do and why they do them, how plants and people depend on one another, and will take a brief look at the botanical history of Ponca City.

At 2 p.m. Joyce Hochtritt, the owner of J & J Cactus and Succulents in Midwest City, Okla., will present "Fun with Cacti and Succulents." This interactive Q&A will give participants the opportunity to learn about the benefits and joys of gardening with cacti and succulents. Her passion for cacti was first fueled at the tender age of five when a great aunt in Arizona gave Joyce a small cactus. By the time Joyce was nine, she was growing cacti and succulents, and as a teenager she joined her first Cactus and Succulent Society of America affiliate club. She opened up her business in 1984. Since that time, she has been an avid collector and grower as well as a vendor, speaker and judge at numerous cactus and succulent shows throughout the United States.

The Pioneer Woman Museum will be free to the public on Saturday, June 7, during the Herb Festival. Museum hours will be 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the free presentations, the museum exhibits and explore the gift shop, which includes many items from artists in the surrounding area.

The Pioneer Woman Museum is dedicated to telling the story of Oklahoma's pioneering women. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located at 701 Monument Rd. in Ponca City. For more information, please call the museum at 580-765-6108 or email piown@okhistory.org.